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Church bulletins are great. They contain information the congregant will need during the week, such as which deacons are 'on call', who is going to staff the nursery next week, and what time the church supper starts on Wednesday. Some pastors include sermon notes, or a devotional.
The cover always contains a pretty picture and a lovely verse. The picture is always eye catching. One might see a meadow-covered mountain top or a close-up of a pretty flower. The verse is always likewise. Always. It's encouraging, or it speaks of God's love or a promise of God.
I'm irked by this.
Leave it to me to be irked by something pleasant, right? But just once I'd like to see a different kind of verse on the front of a bulletin, a verse that speaks of God's wrath, or His justice, or something unpleasant. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," says 2 Timothy 3:16, so let's not always focus on the verses that please us or encourage us. What about the verses that challenge us, or convict us, or make us think, or speak of an aspect of God that's increasingly denied these days, such as His wrath?
Two weeks ago my scripture photo verses were all on the theme of flowers. All the photos were flowers and the verses they contained were encouraging. Last week the theme was love. All the verses spoke of love and the photos were of pleasant scenes. But this week will be scripture photos of my dreams. They'll be ones you never see on a church bulletin or online as a scripture picture. But I love these just as much as the flowery ones or the encouraging ones. So get ready for scripture photos, Prata-style. If anyone needs a church bulletin lady, I'm available...
PS if you're wondering where to see these scripture pictures, occasionally I put them here on the blog but I post one a day on my Facebook The End Time page, here, https://www.facebook.com/The.End.Time.Blog and I also tweet one a day here, https://twitter.com/elizabethprata
PPS: I know that the vulture photo is extreme. Not even I would want that on a bulletin. I'm just doing my best to make a drastic point, and speak of parts of God's character that are neglected in the public square and also bring to mind events of the Bible that people don't discuss much these days. Like judgment.
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #1, Vulture
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #2, Anguish
Scripture photo: "Church Bulletin" Series #3, Hell
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #4, Lake of Fire
Scripture photo: Wrath ("Church Bulletin" series)
The cover always contains a pretty picture and a lovely verse. The picture is always eye catching. One might see a meadow-covered mountain top or a close-up of a pretty flower. The verse is always likewise. Always. It's encouraging, or it speaks of God's love or a promise of God.
I'm irked by this.
Leave it to me to be irked by something pleasant, right? But just once I'd like to see a different kind of verse on the front of a bulletin, a verse that speaks of God's wrath, or His justice, or something unpleasant. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," says 2 Timothy 3:16, so let's not always focus on the verses that please us or encourage us. What about the verses that challenge us, or convict us, or make us think, or speak of an aspect of God that's increasingly denied these days, such as His wrath?
Two weeks ago my scripture photo verses were all on the theme of flowers. All the photos were flowers and the verses they contained were encouraging. Last week the theme was love. All the verses spoke of love and the photos were of pleasant scenes. But this week will be scripture photos of my dreams. They'll be ones you never see on a church bulletin or online as a scripture picture. But I love these just as much as the flowery ones or the encouraging ones. So get ready for scripture photos, Prata-style. If anyone needs a church bulletin lady, I'm available...
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| EPrata photo |
PS if you're wondering where to see these scripture pictures, occasionally I put them here on the blog but I post one a day on my Facebook The End Time page, here, https://www.facebook.com/The.End.Time.Blog and I also tweet one a day here, https://twitter.com/elizabethprata
PPS: I know that the vulture photo is extreme. Not even I would want that on a bulletin. I'm just doing my best to make a drastic point, and speak of parts of God's character that are neglected in the public square and also bring to mind events of the Bible that people don't discuss much these days. Like judgment.
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #1, Vulture
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #2, Anguish
Scripture photo: "Church Bulletin" Series #3, Hell
Scripture photo "Church Bulletin" series #4, Lake of Fire
Scripture photo: Wrath ("Church Bulletin" series)
I really enjoy reading your blog, your insights and writing are truly inspiring. I am also very glad for the disclaimer at the bottom of this post...while I take your point, I don't think this would be very encouraging to me on a Sunday Morning Bulletin.
ReplyDeleteLOL, thanks GCgirl. I agree. But some of the other verses that speak of God's wrath or His anger, would be a refreshing change from the hearts and flowers we always get on bulletins or online. I want ALL of my God's attributes lauded and exalted, not just the attributes we feel conmfortable with or like better. I'll post some of those kind of scripture photos this week on FB and Twitter. I already made them.
DeleteThis cracked me up, Elizabeth. I was saying today that I feel like I earned an invisible master's degree in Gregboydology this weekend because someone in my life was questioning if God actually poured out his wrath on Jesus (someone who has listened to a lot of Boyd). When I first heard serious preaching on wrath and sin I wanted to find a church where I would hear more of that and not just the pretty verses. Suddenly things were beginning to make sense. Thanks for sharing these thoughts. They would never let me be the church bulletin lady either. :)
ReplyDeleteMelissa
You're welcome, Melissa. :)
Delete